Premium
Moral approval of aggression and sex role identity in officer trainees, conscientious objectors to military service, and in a female reference group
Author(s) -
Lagerspetz Kirsti M. J.,
Björkqvist Kaj,
Björkqvist Helena,
Lundman Helena
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
aggressive behavior
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.223
H-Index - 92
eISSN - 1098-2337
pISSN - 0096-140X
DOI - 10.1002/1098-2337(1988)14:5<303::aid-ab2480140502>3.0.co;2-m
Subject(s) - aggression , conscientious objector , military service , psychology , officer , social psychology , service (business) , clinical psychology , developmental psychology , law , political science , spanish civil war , economy , economics
Abstract The Moral Approval of Aggression Inventory (MAAI) and Bem's Sex Role Inventory (BSRI) were administered to three experimental groups: officer trainees ( = OTs, n = 48), conscientious objectors to military service ( = COs, n = 35), and to a group of women of comparable age (n = 32). Aggression was mostly approved of among OTs and the least among COs, the women scoring in the middle somewhat closer to OTs. Differences in choice of sex role identity emerged, so that OTs often chose a masculine sex role, while for COs, the choice of an androgynous role was the most frequent one. Women chose feminine and androgynous roles with equal frequency. Moral approval of aggression could not be explained on the basis of sex role identification. The strongest determinator of moral approval of aggression was the choice of refusal to engage in military service.